Monday December 22th Topic with KC1SOO: Favorite Holiday Movies & Shows

What are your favorite Holiday Movies?

🎄 Tonight’s Net Topic:

Holiday movies are everywhere this time of year, and just about everyone has that one favorite they look forward to watching each season. Whether it’s a classic like A Year Without a Santa Claus, the 1990s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or something completely different, we’d love to hear what tops your list. Also, who could forget the Home Alone movies! Is it a movie you’ve watched since you were a kid, one you enjoy with family every year, or just one that always puts you in the holiday spirit? Join us on the 6 PM net and share your favorite Christmas or holiday movie — and why it’s a must-watch for you.

Wednesday December 17th Topic with KC1HHK: Wright Brothers Day (December 17th)

Wright Brothers Day (December 17th)

Wright Brothers Day (December 17th) is highly significant because it commemorates the first successful powered, controlled, and sustained heavier-than-air flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903, an achievement that launched the age of aviation, revolutionized transportation, spurred global innovation, and symbolizes American ingenuity and perseverance, inspiring generations to reach for the impossible. It's a celebration of transforming a centuries-old dream into reality, paving the way for modern flight, space exploration, and global connectivity.

Why it's significant:

Birth of Aviation: It marks the moment humanity conquered the skies, changing warfare, travel, commerce, and exploration forever.
Symbol of American Ingenuity: The brothers embody American grit, vision, and determination, proving that big, seemingly impossible goals are achievable through hard work and research.
Foundation for Future Tech: Their invention laid the groundwork for everything from the sound barrier to spaceflight.
Inspiration: It encourages new generations of scientists, engineers, and dreamers to pursue ambitious projects, recognizing that innovation builds on past breakthroughs.
National Recognition: Congress designated December 17th as Wright Brothers Day (36 U.S.C. 143), with Presidents issuing annual proclamations to honor this pivotal event.

How it's observed:

Ceremonies: Events are held at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, NC, including wreath-laying, speeches, and aviation-themed activities.
Honoring Innovation: The First Flight Society inducts new members into the Paul E. Garber Shrine, recognizing modern aviation pioneers.
Official Proclamations: The President issues proclamations inviting the nation to observe the day, highlighting its importance.

Interesting Aviation Facts

The wingspan of the 747 is 120 feet, which is longer than the original Wright Brothers flight.
Food tastes different under cabin pressure in an airplane.
In the United States, over 6,000 passengers are flying at any given moment.
For every hour spent flying, you can lose about two cups of water from your body. If you’re traveling cross-country, keep yourself hydrated.
The President and Vice President of the United States never fly together, nor do they fly with the House of Representatives' Speaker. Just in case…

Net Discussion Questions:

· The Wright Bros first flight covered a distance of 120 feet, what was the longest NON-STOP flight you ever took?

· How old were you when you flew for the first time and what was the reason for taking the flight?

Monday December 15th Topic with KC1SOO: Snow Removal

Winter Headaches

How do you tackle snow removal?

Clearing snow involves using tools like shovels, snow blowers, or plows, focusing on safety by pushing rather than lifting, starting early, and taking breaks, with methods varying from manual clearing for small areas to mechanical removal for large driveways, often using salt or ice melt to prevent buildup.

Are you responsible for snow removal or do you have it hired out?

Methods & Tools

Shoveling: Use a pusher shovel to move snow to the sides, then a standard shovel to lift the rest in layers; push rather than lift to protect your back.

Snow Blowers: Efficient for large areas, using gas or electric power.

Plows: Ideal for large driveways or roads, often vehicle-mounted.

Leaf Blowers: Great for light, powdery snow on walkways.

Tarps: Place under walkways before snow, then pull to reveal a clean path.

Safety & Technique

Start Early: Clear light snow before it gets compacted or turns to ice.

Warm-Up: Stretch before you start and take frequent breaks.

Proper Gear: Dress warmly and wear footwear with good traction.

Push, Don't Lift: Bend at your knees, not your back.

Avoid Hot Water: Can create dangerous black ice.

Salt Wisely: Apply salt or ice melt sparingly to prevent environmental damage

Wednesday December 10th Topic with KC1HHK: Dewey Decimal System Day

DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM DAY

Dewey Decimal System Day December 10th celebrates a system of classification and the man who invented it. On December 10, 1851, Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) was born. The librarian invented the Dewey Decimal system of library classification.

#DeweyDecimalSystemDay

As the most widely used library classification system, the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) or Dewey Decimal System has been in use since 1876, the year when American Librarian Melvil Dewey developed and established it. Divided into ten main categories, the numerical system arranges mostly non-fiction publications.

Since its inception, modern libraries maintain the system using modern technologies. A schedule of expansions and revisions helps keep the system current and progressive, too. The DDC is the most widely used classification system in the world. Libraries in 135 countries around the world have translated the DDC into 30 different languages.

It is currently published by the Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and its editorial offices are located within the Decimal Classification Division of the Library of Congress.

Melvil Dewey

Dewey's interest in simplification led him to create a system that revolutionized library science. Born Melville Louis Kosuth Dewey in update New York, he was only 21 when he invented the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

He also established library standards and advanced library education. Dewey went on to help develop the American Library Association and founded and edited the Library Journal. As an entrepreneur, he sold library supplies. Dewey paved the way for new librarians by establishing the first library school at Columbia College in New York City and later became the director of the New York State Library in Albany.

HOW TO OBSERVE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM DAY

Visit a library and explore using the Dewey Decimal System.

Read about library organization or take a tour of your local library to learn more about the technology it uses.
Learn about library sciences.
Read a book about Melvil Dewey such as The Efficient, Inventive (Often Annoying) Melvil Dewey by Alexis O'Neill and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.
Discover different professions in a library degree program. The Dewey Decimal System is one tool librarians use. There are so many more!

DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM DAY HISTORY

While the observance commemorates the anniversary of Melvil Dewey's birth, National Day Calendar® continues searching for the introduction of the first celebration.

SEE THIS VIDEO

Dewey Decimal FAQ:

Q. Where does science fiction fall in the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)?
A. There are 10 broad classifications in the DDC. Science fiction as well as other works of literature fall under the 800-899 Literature classification.

Q. Is there another classification system used?
A. Yes. Many libraries use the Library of Congress Classification System (LC).

Q. When is the last time you visited a public library?

Wednesday December 3rd Topic with KC1HHK: 1st Text Msg. & 1st Heart Transplant

First SMS Text Message Is Sent

On December 3, 1992, the first SMS text message in history is sent: Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old engineer, uses a personal computer to send the text message “Merry Christmas” via the Vodafone network to the phone of a colleague.

Papworth, while working for the now-defunct Anglo-French IT services company Sema Group Telecoms, was part of a team developing a “Short Message Service Centre” (SMSC) for the British telecommunications company Vodafone UK. At the time, Sema Group hoped to use these short messages as a paging service. After Papworth installed the system at a site west of London, he sat at a computer terminal and sent the simple message to the mobile phone of Richard Jarvis, director of Vodafone, who was attending a holiday party.

“It didn't feel momentous at all,” Papworth later said. “For me it was just getting my job done on the day and ensuring that our software that we'd been developing for a good year was working OK."

Shortly after, Papworth received a call from the Christmas party, letting him know that the outgoing message was a success, although cellphones themselves could not actually send messages in return yet.

One year later, Nokia released the first cellphone with an SMS feature, but messages (limited to 160 characters due to bandwidth constraints) could only be sent within the same mobile network—phone networks would finally allow users to SMS across rival companies in 1999. Texting as a means of casual communication blossomed with the introduction of the Tegic (T9) system of predictive texting and pre-paid phone plans, which originally did not charge for texts and appealed to young people. Because of the 160-character constraint, as well as the cumbersome nature of typing with a numeric keypad, an entire “language” of abbreviations and slang emerged through SMS and spread across internet-based messaging.

SMS means Short Message Service and refers to text-only messages up to 160 characters. It's the standard for basic text messaging that uses standardized protocols to send messages between mobile devices, and you might see it indicated by a green bubble in some messaging apps, like on an iPhone, for texts sent to non-Apple devices.

Function: SMS is the technology that allows you to send and receive text messages.
Content: SMS messages are limited to text, but the character limit includes spaces and punctuation.
Technology: The messages are transmitted through a carrier's cell tower to a network's SMS center, which then forwards the message to the recipient's device.
Distinction: SMS is different from MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), which can send pictures, videos, and other media, and can also handle longer messages.

The First Human Heart Transplant

The first heart transplant was critically important because it launched the field of cardiac transplantation, despite its initial limitations. The first human heart transplant was performed on December 3, 1967, in Cape Town, South Africa. Dr. Christiaan Barnard led the surgical team at Groote Schuur Hospital, successfully transplanting a heart from a young woman who had died in a car accident into Louis Washkansky, a 53-year-old patient suffering from severe heart failure. The operation was groundbreaking, marking a major milestone in medical history. Although Washkansky survived for only 18 days after the procedure, the transplant demonstrated the potential of organ replacement surgery and paved the way for future advancements in cardiac medicine.

Led to life-saving treatments today: The continuous improvements that followed the first transplant eventually led to the development of anti-rejection drugs in the 1980s and other innovations. Today, heart transplantation is a routine and life-saving procedure for patients with severe heart disease.

Monday December 1st Topic with KC1SOO

How do you prepare for a Snow Storm?

Hope everyone had a great Holiday weekend! With Winter apon us and a forecast of snow coming this week, how do you prepare for a snow storm?

Do you have any special steps that you preform other than the basics of food shopping and making sure you find the snow shovel before the storm?

To prepare for a snowstorm, you should weather-proof your home and gather supplies like warm clothing, non-perishable food, and emergency kits for both home and car. Staying informed, checking your home and vehicle, and having a plan for power outages and safe heating are also crucial steps.

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